Go Lay Down
by Parnassus
Summary: That one time Niko caught the flu. No plot, just brother fluff with lots of caring!Cal and sick!Niko.


**Summary: Niko comes down with a nasty case of the flu and Cal has a bitch of a time trying to help out. No plot, just good old fashioned H/C crap. Takes place early in the series. Not even Niko Leandros can escape my obsessive tendency towards brother whumpage...Cal can't have all the fun ;) **

**Disclaimer: Characters ain't mine. Cal has a dirty mouth. **

**Enjoy! **

* * *

"Nik, would you lay down?"

"No."

"Nik, go lay down."

"Cal-"

"Niko, go lay your ass down, now!"

"No."

"Fuck it!" Exasperated, I threw my hands in the air and stormed for the door. "Fine, go ahead and pass out. Face-plant and break your nose. See if I care! I'll fucking walk right over your dumb ass. We need a new braided rug!"

"Cal, you're being childish," Niko insisted, his voice scratchy and strained.

"Don't think I won't!" I grabbed my jacket, slammed the door in true childish form…and then heard Niko start hacking up his lungs behind it. My resolve wavered. But then I remembered I was pissed - and pissed trumped concerned at the moment so I headed down the stairs for work.

Niko had been under the weather all week. I couldn't remember the last time he'd been sick. Ninja nutritionist boy _never _got sick. But I guess you can only Mr. Miyagi viruses for so long before they finally catch up and wax all over your ass. This morning had pretty much been Nik's crash landing. He had the almighty flu and I might as well have been banging my head against a wall to get him to admit it.

I'd wandered into the kitchen and found Nik doing his ritual, early morning, yoga crap. But something was off. He was shaky, his movements uncoordinated - to a practiced eye they were, anyway.

And then of course there was the nosedive he took onto the floor. He was all graceful limbs and pointy nose smooshed into the ratty carpet. That was kind of a clue. After recovering from the shock of what I'd just witnessed, I rushed over to help him up.

Naturally, he pried my hands away and pranced to his feet with lethal agility, insisting he had just lost his balance.

Yeah, good one.

If Goodfellow had suddenly popped his head in, announced he was going celibate and living as a hermit for the remainder of his days, that would have been more believable.

But I didn't push. Mostly because that would undoubtedly lead to shoving, and my brother's idea of a shove was tossing your unlucky ass into the nearest drywall and karate chopping it. Even sick, he could still kick my butt to China and back. I settled for keeping a wary eye on him for the rest of the morning.

But by the end of the afternoon I was frustrated. Niko wasn't getting any better and he obviously needed rest. But we all know how that conversation went. Brick. Fucking. Wall. If this were a cartoon, my forehead would have a naked lump the size of the Eiffel Tower.

I fumed all the way to the bar. But my anger gradually trickled away as I disinterestedly served up liquor, wiped down counters, and glared at customers. I felt really guilty about just leaving him there like that. If Niko ever suspected something was up with me, he would've never left me to deal with it on my own. He would stick to my side like gorilla glue whether I threw a tantrum or not. Damn him.

I was jittery and as my boss put it, "excessively hostile with the customers", even for me. So he sent me home early and told me to get a grip if I wanted to stay employed.

Wasn't any hair off my nuts, but I _was_ anxious to get home to my brother. I still felt like a prick for leaving. I even stopped in at this hippie juice shop on the way home. I paid for some kind of soy, blueberry smoothie thing I thought he might like. Why he enjoyed that girly shit with funky names and poisonous aftertastes was lightyears beyond me.

I arrived back at our apartment, took the steps two at a time, (careful not to spill the soy shake), and only paused outside long enough to catch my breath. I unlocked the door and tossed my jacket in a convenient corner.

"Nik?"

Half expecting to be jumped - just so he could prove to me how healthy he was - I peered around the empty kitchen and then made my way into the living room. A hand peeked out from behind the coffee table. Confused, I cocked my head, trying to get a better look, and my heart jumped into my throat.

Wedged awkwardly between the couch and the table was Niko. Dead to the world.

"Oh shit," I scrambled over, gathered his head up from the floor, and sort of started smacking his cheeks because I was panicky as fuck. His eyes fluttered open, rolled around the room before coming to rest on my face. "Hey, you with me?"

He coughed and winced against the pressure. Or maybe his head just hurt. I did a quick check. Only a small bruise and both pupils were equal, so no concussion. Lucky bastard. Would've served him right.

"Jesus, Nik," I helped him sit up. Or I kept both hands hovering about a millimeter from his body while he pushed himself up by his elbows. He kept swatting at my hands every time I tried to help.

"I didn't mean for you to actually test out my face-plant threat, Cyrano."

He gingerly rubbed the back of his head, "Turns out it was empty, huh?"

I rolled my eyes. "I don't like to leave stuff lying around."

Niko snorted at my lameness and struggled to his feet. His face paled and he swayed unsteadily before I caught his arm. His breaths were labored and his cheeks flushed with fever.

"So," I smirked. "How about that nap?"

"I suppose it couldn't hurt." He managed a smile and tried to make light, "I think I _would_ prefer a bed to the floor in any case." Yeah, he was the one passed out on the floor, sick, and he was trying to make _me _feel better. That was just wrong. His hand gripped the back of my shirt for support as I shuffled him into the bedroom and eased him down onto the mattress.

"How about some Tylenol?"

"No," Came the immediate dismissal.

"Nik, why do you have to be so goddamn stubborn about everything?" I propped another pillow behind his head.

"N-not stubborn." And now he was shivering. Great. Just fucking fantastic. "You j-just don't listen."

"Do too," I retorted. "When I feel like it…look, that's not the point-"

"N-no drugs, Cal." He pulled the blankets closer around his shoulders. "J-just need sleep."

"They're not drugs, not really - just something to make you a little more comfortable. You know, take the edge off."

"B-block body's ability to f-fight off disease…so just t-takes longer, doesn't do any g-good in th' long run."

"So, you finally admit you're sick…day for the history books."

Niko huffed air in my direction and adjusted his head on the pillows.

"Okay, professor," I gave his chest a light pat. His eyes had already begun drooping. "Enough with the science lessons. Time for sleep."

I closed the curtains and ran to grab a bottle of water to set by his bed. "Just holler if you need anything else."

But he was already asleep.

Less than twenty minutes later, I heard the hacking start up again. And this time it didn't taper off – just grew in intensity as the seconds passed.

I raced to his room and found him curled onto his side, coughing like he was going for gold in the Olympics. Nope, my brother never did _anything_ half-assed.

His fists clenched the sheets and sweat trickled down his neck as he coughed into the pillow. I didn't think I'd ever seen Niko so…_vulnerable. _And it was freaking me out. He hadn't even acknowledged my presence in the room. It was never obvious – but I always knew when he knew I was there. And it was usually before _I _knew he was there. The roundabout point being, I don't think he even noticed the bed dip when I sat down beside him. That's how goddamn out of it he was.

I placed a hand on his trembling shoulder and _shit_ if he wasn't burning up. I could feel the heat radiating through, soaking his shirt.

"Hey, Nik? Just take it easy," The coughing was dying down and red, bleary eyes roamed the ceiling before finding me. "Deep breaths," I coached, even though I really didn't have a clue what I was doing. This whole healing thing was Niko's gig. I reached for the water bottle and unscrewed the cap.

"Here," I carefully lifted his head and tilted the bottle to his lips. He drank greedily before choking on the liquid. And that sent him right back into another coughing fit.

His fingers reflexively gripped my shirt as he gasped, "C-an't breathe…"

"Okay, none of that bullshit. Yes you can, Nik. Just take it slow. Calm down." Two words I thought I'd never say to my older brother. But he was disoriented, hurting, and I was pretty sure at this point, delirious. So yeah, I had to be the cool headed one.

Sucks balls in case you were wondering.

I hunted down our thermometer and stuck it under his tongue. He groaned but didn't try to fight me when I clamped my hand around his jaw to keep his mouth shut - another really bad sign. When it finally beeped and I saw the reading I nearly started panicking all over again. 104.8 – _Holy shit. _

"Okay, we need to get your fever down. Hang on." I ran into the bathroom and turned on the water. I wasn't going to try and force-feed him medicine. Not until he was at least semi-lucid. So this was really the only other thing I could think of. Hospital was a last resort. I tried not to think about that. This would work.

He was coughing again in the other room. _Now for the fun part. _I leaned over him and pulled back the tangled sheets. Niko was moaning softly and kicking awkwardly at his blankets. Suddenly his eyes flew open and he struggled to sit up.

"Hey, hey just-"

That was as far as I got before Niko leaned over the side of the bed and threw up. I dodged the watery stream of vomit at the last second and only a little splatter landed on my jeans.

"Oh, gross," I grimaced at the mess decorating the carpet. "Give a guy a little warning before you go spewing your guts, Nik. It's just common courtesy." I was trying for levity but it only seemed to upset him.

"S-sorry…" he gagged. I noticed his arms were shaking as he struggled to hold himself over the side.

I smiled and tried again, "Nah, don't worry about it. For one, you missed…mostly. And two, I think I owe you a couple of free shots."

"Try…few doz'n…" he wheezed.

I braced one arm underneath his shoulders and the other against his chest. I gently levered him up, carefully avoided the puddle of puke and prayed he'd be able to stay on his feet.

"Come on," I grunted, basically talking to myself.

I practically had to drag his dead weight into the bathroom, which thankfully wasn't far. Niko wasn't much help. He sagged against my shoulder and nearly toppled us more than once. He wasn't exactly a lightweight. I lurched for the doorway and braced my back against it. Niko's head lolled and he suddenly went very limp in my arms. I realized he'd passed out. That got my ass moving again double quick.

I dragged him over to the tub and propped him in the corner against the wall while I took a second to catch my breath. I decided I'd just have to toss him in, clothes and all because no way was I wrestling him out of his sweatpants.

I discovered there was no easy way to haul him in without stepping in first myself. The bottom half of my jeans were soaked by the time I finally maneuvered him into the water. He was still unconscious and I didn't want him accidentally drowning or anything so I just sort of sat down behind him. Not awkward at all, nothing to see here.

The water was freezing and apparently Niko agreed with me. Three seconds after I submerged his body he was jerking awake and struggling to escape the tub. I wrapped my arms around his chest and restrained his flailing limbs.

"Just take it easy, Nik," I soothed. "We have to get your fever down. All those fun filled mythology facts and history lessons can't live off a fried brain."

His teeth chattered and he shivered violently as his head rolled back and forth. He was trying to angle his neck to see my face.

"Right here, Cyrano," I patted his shoulder in an effort to reassure him. "And if you make a crack about rubber ducks or Johnson and Johnson, I'm leaving you in here overnight."

"Was'n…g-gonna," he chattered. Another violent tremor ran the length of his body and water splashed in my eyes. He grasped blindly at the edges of the bathtub, trying to find purchase.

"I know, I know. Just a few more minutes and I'll get you warm again," I promised.

Nik didn't complain. Not like I wanted him to. I wanted him to sit up, straighten his hair, and bitch at me for dumping him unceremoniously in a bathtub. Instead, he closed his eyes and drifted in and out against my chest.

After a while I gently pressed my palm to his forehead. It was a little cooler. No longer scalding. Not great - but better. I shook his shoulder in order to rouse him.

"Ready to get back to bed?"

"Mmm…" he mumbled, trying to sit up.

"Okay, I gotcha. Just let me do the work for once, huh, Superman?"

I stepped out and peeled off my dripping shirt before hauling my brother out and sitting him down on the closed toilet seat. I snagged a towel off a nearby hook and tucked it around his shoulders.

"Hang on a second," I steadied him and started for the door. "Don't go keeling over on me," I instructed from the bedroom. I returned with an armful of dry clothes.

I began removing the towel when I felt a hand on my wrist.

"I can…dress m'self, Cal."

"Nik, you can't even stand."

He glared with steely eyes, braced an arm against the sink, and slowly rose to his feet, then held out his hand for the clothes. I sighed in resignation and handed them over. You have to pick your battles.

"Fine. But don't lock the door."

I paced outside, waiting for the inevitable crash. But it never came and Niko reappeared - fully dressed and swaying only slightly as he leaned against the door.

He did allow me to help him back over to the bed. I eased him down on the opposite side as I hadn't yet had a chance to clean up on the other. I took his temperature again. 101.6 – I could work with that.

I shook a few pills from a bottle and handed them over along with a bottle of water.

"If I have to shove them down your throat, I will."

"Cal…"

"I know, I know! They don't do any good in the long run, but Nik…please?"

And there it was. He took the pills with a swallow of water.

"Anyway, you're not exactly my idea of a bath buddy. I'd prefer to leave sponging to the hot nurses from now on if it's all the same to you."

"Your idea…not mine, little brother."

"Yeah? Well it was either that or let you boil in your own juices."

Whatever retort Niko had in mind was lost in another bout of coughing. Wincing, he doubled over as the tremors shook his frame.

When it was over, he sat panting for a few seconds before leaning back against the pillows.

I watched his throat work as he swallowed a few times.

"You're not gonna puke again, are you?"

And I could've sworn his flushed cheeks turned a shade redder.

"No," he croaked, turning onto his side as I pulled up the blankets.

I dragged a chair from the living room and settled myself in to keep watch by his bedside.

* * *

I opened my eyes and smacked around the stale cotton feel of my tongue.

It must've been late afternoon. My head hurt and the incessant tingling in the back of my throat signaled another coughing fit.

Cal's head rested on the edge of the mattress, ass sliding out of a chair, and one arm lay draped over my chest.

I coughed to clear my throat and he stirred. Gray, hazy eyes blinked up at me. He had red sleep lines etched into his cheek.

"Are you cuddling me?" My voice sounded as dry as my throat felt.

He glanced in confusion at the stray arm, and quickly pulled away, using it instead to wipe the drool off his cheek.

"Shut up," he muttered.

I couldn't help smiling at his embarrassment. He ignored me, yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"How you feeling?"

"Better," I replied honestly. "I think you could have a promising career as a nurse. You should look into that, little brother."

"You're a dick."

"See? Excellent bedside manner."

Cal glared and shoved up from the chair.

"I'm getting food." He turned on his heels and hollered over his shoulder, "You're getting orange juice and another Tylenol."

"Nurse's orders?"

"Joke all you want. Next time, I'm totally leaving your dumb ass on the floor to fend for itself."

A few minutes later he was back shoving pills and a glass of orange juice under my nose.

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**End. Thoughts always welcome :) Thanks for reading! **


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